A PYMNTS Company

US: Aetna deciding whether to appeal judge’s decision to block Humana merger

By  |  January 31, 2017
US: Aetna deciding whether to appeal judge’s decision to block Humana merger

Aetna executives are still not ready to say whether they will give up on their proposed $37 billion acquisition of Louisville-based Humana in the face of a federal judge’s order blocking the deal on antitrust grounds.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    Aetna continues to evaluate whether it will appeal the Jan. 23 order, Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini told stock analysts on a conference call Tuesday.

    The company will have to decide whether to abandon the deal or work out an extension with Humana by Feb. 15, the current deadline for the merger, Bertolini said.

    “We’re going to take all of that time to make sure we have pursued all potential opportunities to either appeal or not,” Bertolini said. “…We are in no rush given that we are literally two weeks away from having to make that decision.”

    If the deal is terminated, Aetna would owe Humana a $1 billion break-up fee.

    The companies had planned to sell some of their business to Molina Healthcare for $117 million, but the proposal failed to allay the Justice Department and judge’s concerns about competition following the merger.

    Full Content: WDRB

    Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.